IBT Staff Reporter

For Yahoo Inc to avoid Microsoft Corp's bear hug, it could potentially partner with companies ranging from eBay Inc to Comcast Corp, though an alternative deal would be unlikely to match the Microsoft offer. Retailer Amazon.com Inc, iPod maker Apple Inc and phone company AT&T Inc all could argue that integrating Yahoo's services and ads would be strategically smart, and some already have Internet-advertising partnerships with Yahoo. None, however, is expected to be able to compete f...

Starbucks Corp. is cutting 600 posts, with its headquarters in Seattle taking the bulk of the reduction, in an effort to revive the struggling coffee chain.

The Federal Communications Commission will back off from plans to force TV stations to air more advertisements about the upcoming transition to digital TV next year, according to several news reports.

Soybean futures increased on Friday on concern that China, the world's largest consumer of vegetable oils, will increase imports in an effort to control rising prices for food in the country.

The yen rose against the dollar and euro on Friday as investor moved away from stocks and high yielding currencies.

Gold futures edged lower in New York on Friday, consolidating below the$ 950 mark after hitting a fresh record-high yesterday on increased inflation risks which boosted the precious metal's appeal as an inflation hedge.

U.S. stocks fell for a second day on Friday, with the tech and financial sector leading the decline as investors considered weak economic data that was released earlier this week. Indexes tumbled on Thursday after a weak regional manufacturing report added to concerns that the economy is headed for a recession, if not already in one.

Recent signs that the world's biggest economy may be sliding into recession unsettled European and Asian stocks on Friday, and helped push the dollar to a near three-week low versus a basket of currencies.

Platinum powered to an historic high near $2,200 an ounce on Friday as supply problems in top producer South Africa triggered speculative buying, but erased gains later on profit-taking.

EU and U.S. senior officials said on Friday they would crack down on counterfeiting of computer components after they seized over 360,000 fake items in just two weeks in a joint operation at the end of last year.

Top U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy Co, facing stagnant sales at home, said on Friday it would ramp up its expansion in China but would not grow through partnerships with local rivals. Best Buy will invest substantially and open a large number of stores in China in the next five years, and will launch online sales in the country in the next 24 months.

Thousands of Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq in their hunt for Kurdish PKK guerrillas, a senior military source said on Friday, in an escalation of a conflict that could destabilize the region.

Dresdner Bank AG is bailing out an $18.8 billion K2 structured investment.

The beef industry is putting pressure on U.S. agriculture regulators to reduce the scale of a massive recall initiated this week, according to a report.

Japan stocks dropped sharply Friday affected by U.S. weakening economy and upward trend of yen currency.

Asian markets shed gains from the previous day in the wake of Wall Street's declines.

Wheat rose for the second this week as investors speculated that bad weather may reduce the global crop supply.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's adoption of Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt has been formally made official by a Los Angeles court, according to news reports.

China has appealed to the United States for fair and legal treatment of a Chinese investment in US communications equipment company 3Com after the deal caused the United States national security concerns.

Portal won Game of the Year at the eighth annual Game Developers Choice Awards as video gamemakers heaped laurels on the action puzzle.

Copper prices rose on Thursday as investors' demand for commodities increased to protect investments against inflation.

Platinum soared Thursday after a drop in the dollar drove traders to shift funds into hard assets as safe-haven investments. Gold and silver also hit records.

Oil prices slumped from a $101.32 record high on Thursday after the U.S. government reported crude inventories rose last week for their sixth straight increase.

Gold futures rose to a new record of $958.40 an ounce on Thursday on a weakening dollar which boosted the metal's appeal as an inflation hedge. Platinum and silver also hit new record highs.

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it would publish key software blueprints to let rival programs work better with its products and address some European antitrust concerns.

The tender offer, a speedier mechanism to buy a public company, is being increasingly used to structure takeovers. But some caution that the route won't necessarily produce a top-dollar bid for shareholders. Tender offers allow bidders to go direct to shareholders with or without support from a target company's board, as opposed to a merger, in which a buyer will typically negotiate an agreement with the target that is then subject to board and stockholder approval.

Microsoft Corp. said on Thursday it will share trade secrets to facilitate information sharing and connections with third-party products in a bid to comply with European regulators and increase compatibility of its software with that of competitors and customers.

Members of the Directors Guild of America voted to approve a new contract with movie and television production companies, the union said late Wednesday.

The dollar slipped on Thursday, still weighed down by minutes from the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting, which affirmed expectations of further U.S. interest rate cuts.